


Just Once

by everydayisokay



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon GO
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Pokemon GO - Freeform, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 22:07:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8507248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everydayisokay/pseuds/everydayisokay
Summary: Spark and Go go on their first date.





	

**Author's Note:**

> An Anon on Tumblr requested for a drabble with GoSpark that involved the words "Just Once", so here it is.

“Just once.” He whispered to himself. “Just once.”

Those were the words that Candela and Blanche told Spark when they coaxed him to ask Go on a date. He took a deep breath as his heartbeat quickened. The scalding water from his shower head made him feel better. It made him feel relaxed. Relaxed. Calm. Serene. That’s what he needed to be.

He turned the water off and stood there for a moment. What could he wear? What could he say? He swallowed and finally opened the shower curtain, wincing as the cold air hit him. He reached over for his towel, quickly taking it to dry himself off. His hair? It needs to be perfect. His clothes? Needs to be perfect. Everything needs to be perfect.

Those were his thoughts as he stepped out of the shower. He looked up to find himself staring at a mirror; he saw all but perfect. His eyes had dark circles under them, from working all night. He hadn’t gone to the gym in weeks. He wondered if he even had personality. His outside facade was an optimistic and caring leader, bold and driven. His favorite color was yellow. He liked electric type Pokemon. Everything about him was happy, and kind, and sweet, and bright, but he hated that because he wasn’t that. He was, but he wasn’t, but he is, but he isn’t. Everything confused him. Everything was too much. He wondered why he was acting like this.

He  _ was _ always optimistic. He  _ was _ always funny and happy, but for some reason, in this very moment, he didn’t feel like he was any of that. In this moment, he was the embodiment of low self-esteem and anxiety.

Love was familiar to him. Love was.. hard for him. Love made him into a different person. His caring personality turned into possessiveness. His optimism into concern. His identity into theirs. So when he met Go, and when he got to know Go, he started falling, but he couldn’t catch himself quick enough.

He stared at his face in the mirror until a voice disrupted his thoughts.

“Spark! What the hell are you doing in there? Hurry up and get out, you’re gonna be late!”

She was right. Crap. “Uh.. yeah! Sorry!” He took the towel and wrapped it around his waist. “I’ll be right out!”

“Blanche and I each picked an outfit for your date. We can’t really decide which one you should wear, so come out and pick!”

He made sure that the towel was securely tied onto his waist as he opened the door. He was grateful for his two friends. They both had his back when he needed them, and he had theirs...  _ was that the outfit that Candela picked for him? _

That same voice placed a finger on his nose. “I told you to come out quick, but I also didn’t want you to be naked.” She now practically shoved the clothes into his face. “Go ahead try these on.”

He chuckled as he was led back into the bathroom by Candela’s harsh force. The door slammed behind him. “Change quick ‘cause Blanche wants you to try on theirs too!”

He looked at the clothes she had handed him. They were formal-casual. A yellow, black, and white plaid button-down with a plain black t-shirt to be worn inside. Black jeans, slightly torn, but not too much. And.. underwear? He turned towards the door, knowing that Candela was probably still there.

He read the packaging. “Glow-in-the-dark underwear..?”

“Hey! It may be your first date with him, but you gotta be prepared.”

“But.. _ glow-in-the-dark? _ ”

“I think it’s classy, goes with your whole  _ ‘electric’ _ aesthetic.”

“And what’s.. this?” He held up a wristwatch by its brown strap, the metal of its face glimmering under his bathroom lights. 

“If you’re talking about the watch, take it as a gift. From both me and Blanche!”

“But.. why?” He smiled, inspecting his new watch.

“Blanche insists that they wanted to buy it for you ‘cause you tend to lose track of time. But, I think that both of us just want you to have a nice night. You’ve been into him for.. how long?”

“Two years... At least.”

“See? Two years of angsty romance all culminating into this one moment.”

“You’re not really helping with my nerves.”

“Oh nerves shmerves! He’s totally into you, don’t worry about it.”

He opened the door, fully dressed in the clothes she gave him.

“And how do you know that?”

“Well,” she moved to fix his collar and to put the watch on his wrist for him, “you’re pretty good-looking. You’re leader of Team Instinct. You hatch Pokemon from eggs. You know he loves eggs.”

Spark sighed. “And he loves babies.”

“A man that loves babies is a man that you can’t miss your chances with.” She hit him on the chest to signal that she was done with her tweaking. “Blanche! He’s dressed! You want to come and judge?”

“I’m coming. I’m coming. You don’t have to scream.” Blanche came out of their room to look at Spark. They eyed him up and down. “A good outfit. But, not for a first date.”

“What? Whaddaya mean?”

“First dates are important Candela. Remember when we had ours?”

“Yes! And  _ I _ wore something like  _ this _ !”

“And  _ I _ wore something like  _ this _ .” Blanche stepped back into their room to bring out their outfit choice for Spark. “ _ This _ would be much more  _ suiting _ .” Blanche chuckled slightly at their own joke and handed the clothes to Spark, pushing him back into the bathroom.

“Now, try these on.”

“Do you have underwear for me too? Or do I keep the glow ones on?”

“Candela’s choice in lingerie appalls me, but no, I do not have specific underwear for you. Wear what’s comfortable and what’s not embarrassing,  _ should something happen _ .”

“So,... no Pikachu underwear?” He chuckled.

“No.”

“This underwear  _ is _ really comfy Candela, what exactly is the fabric type?”

“Spark, hurry and get dressed.” Blanche shoved him back into the bathroom.

He stared at himself in the mirror. He had to admit, Candela’s clothes were something he would wear, but he wondered what sort of clothes Blanche picked for him..

He started to undress, but once he saw himself in only his underwear, he suddenly wondered if they really did glow in the dark, like the packaging suggested. He flipped the light switch to see that the black remained dark, but the lightning bolt on his right thigh along with the vertical line that ran under it and the white lines that outlined his crotch glowed brightly. He blushed.

_ “Stop testing the underwear and put your clothes on!” _ Candela’s voice could be heard through the door as her fist banged against the door.

He flipped the light switch once more to turn on the lights. He didn’t realize that she was still out there. His blush grew deeper. 

“Sorry! Just wanted to check!”

He had to admit though, the underwear design was very chic and fit his style nicely. His attention finally roamed to the clothes that Blanche picked for him. Right on top was a marigold boutonniere to be pinned onto a black blazer. Along with the blazer came a white button-up shirt and a yellow bowtie. Blanche had chosen black dress pants to complete the ensemble. 

“It’s very… uh.. professional looking!”

“If you wanted to be professional Spark, I would have chosen a suit jacket for you, and not a blazer. The blazer dresses you down some.” Blanche replied, joining Candela to listen to Spark through the door.

“Oh.. uh.. yeah.” He began to dress. “And the boutonniere! It’s great!”

“Marigolds  _ are _ your favorite flower.”

“How do you know that?”

“They were your father’s, so I assumed they were yours. You also tend to gravitate towards yellow things.”

“Oh.” He shrugged. “Fair guess, I guess.” He proceeded to tuck in his shirt and put on the bowtie. Everything fit him so nicely.. he wondered if Blanche had taken measurements of him while he was asleep. The final piece to his outfit was the marigold, which he pinned to the left flap of his lapel. He smiled. This one looked good on him too.

“I’m done!” He said as he opened the door. Candela gasped. “You.. clean up really nicely, Spark….!”

“Really? Uh.. it’s been a while since I’ve worn something like this..” He moved his arm to scratch the back of his head, but Blanche stopped him.

“Don’t move, let me fix some things.”

“O-oh.. okay.”

Blanche went first for his slightly crooked bowtie. Then for his lapel and collar. And finally for his pants. Once they finished, they took out a pair of shoes. “And these go with the outfit too.” 

“You got me.. shoes.. too?”

“Why, of course, shoes make or break outfits, Spark.” They said as they handed him the shoe. 

He accepted the shoes and smiled. “Thanks.”

He put on the shoes. Though he wasn’t wearing socks, he figured that he didn’t need them right now. Candela and Blanche still had to decide on which outfit Spark should wear.

The moment he got the shoes on, he noticed something different. “Do these..” He paused. “Do these shoes have height boosters in them ‘cause, I feel  _ super _ tall.”

Blanche raised a finger. “About 5 centimeters, or 2 inches, of boosted height.”

“What!?” He looked around. “But I’m  _ already _ on the taller side, without these shoes!”

“Doesn’t mean that a bit more would hurt.” 

“How tall is Go?”

“Shorter than you by more than about 5 centimeters now with those on.”

“What?!”

“Spark, taller height is more charismatic for men. For some reason, it’s more appealing.”

“But, won’t he notice?”

“I doubt it. All he’ll notice is how handsome and tall you’ll look.”

Spark blushed and looked away.

“Alllriiighhhtttttt! So it’s time to decide! Spark, whaddaya wanna wear? My  _ wonderful _ outfit or Blanche’s stuffy one?” Candela chuckled as she spoke her own words.

“Stuffy? I think it makes him look sharp! Your outfit is the one that looks.. messy!”

“That’s the  _ style _ , Blanche!”

“Whatever  _ style _ it is, it’s not meant for a first date.”

“Spark, if you wear my outfit, you can wear whatever shoes you like.”

“Spark, if you wear my outfit, you’ll make Go gawk at you. Better to overdress than to underdress.”

“Unless you’re on your 3rd date.”

_ “Candela!” _

_ “What?!” _

Spark finally spoke. “Okay, okay, guys,.. let’s calm down now!..” He looked to both Candela and Blanche. “I do think Blanche is right with this one, and I also love this marigold,... but can we find different shoes? These are a bit uncomfortable, and I don’t want Go to be intimidated by me.. I can wear your outfit next time, Candela, if there is a next time.”

She huffed. “There  _ will _ be a next time ‘cause like I said, he’s into you!”

“Which means I’ll be able to wear your outfit then?”

“Fine.” She took the clothes off of Spark’s hands. “But, if Go shows up in something like this.” She proceeded to shake the clothes. “Then you’ll be hit by a case of hindsight bias.”

“And  _ I _ will be thoroughly surprised.” Blanche replied, smiling as they noticed Candela getting “riled up”. It always passed within minutes. It was no big deal, more whining over her loss to Blanche than actual anger.

A knock on the door was what caught everyone’s attention and brought a silence to the room, minus Spark’s heartbeat beating like a drum into his ears.

Candela leapt for the door. “I’ll get it! Blanche, find Spark some shoes. Spark, find some socks.” She opened the door with a pleasant smile.

“Hey, Go! How ya doin’?” Her smile quickly turned into a frown as she saw Go dressed in a suit.

“Fine, thanks! Uh.. is something wrong?”

“Nope! Just.” She swallowed. “Come on in and make yourself at home. Spark should be ready any minute now.”

Go entered cautiously, wondering what Candela’s sudden change in emotion was over. “Thank you.” He sat down on the couch.

“Anything you’d like to drink?”

“Uh.. no, I’m fine! Spark and I are going out to eat anyways.”

“Where’d he ask you to?” She knew the answer to the question, but she just wanted to hear it for herself.

“He asked me to a pasta place down the street.”

“You mean  _ THE _ pasta place down the street.”

“... yeah?”

“Spark has a  _ thing _ for that place, Go. If he asks you to go there, that means he’s going  _ all-in _ on the first date.”

“Pfft, it’s not a dat--”

“Oh really?”

“Y-yeah?”

“How long have you liked him?”

He paused, a blush reaching his cheeks. “I--I don’t like him like that.” 

Candela’s eyebrows rose. “Uh huh.”

Go rolled his eyes. “At least, I think he might not think it’s a date.” He looked away from Candela. “Not sure if he even likes me like that. It could just be a guys’ night out or something.”

“Did he not mention that he likes you like that?”

“No, he just asked me if I wanted to go to some pasta place with him toda--  _ wait _ .” He turned to her. “ _ He likes me like that? _ ”

“Honestly, boys are  _ so _ dense.”

Blanche casually set the shoes they found for Spark at the front door and joined in on the pleasant conversation.

“Hello, Go. Nice to see you, and  _ so nicely dressed as well. _ ” They looked over at Candela with a bragging smirk.

“Thank you, Blanche.” Go replied, a blush crossing his face. He was unaware of the silent feud going on between the two.

“Spark should be right out. I heard you’re going to the pasta place down the street?”

“ _ THE  _ pasta place apparently.”

“Yes,  _ THE  _ pasta place.”

“I still don’t understand why you both think this is a date, it’s obviously not.” Go crossed his arms and looked away, trying to hide the prominent blush on his cheeks. He silently thanked himself for his darker skin.

Blanche raised an eyebrow. “And yet, your attire suggests otherwise.”

To that he had no reply.

Spark quickly fixed himself up in front of his mirror. He found a pair of socks and put them on. After putting his socks on, he spent the next few seconds quickly tidying up his room, which was an absolute mess from his anxious morning.

He placed a hand on his doorknob, taking a deep breath as he turned the handle.  _ It’s gonna be great. _ He said to himself as he pushed open his door.

He turned left to see Go surrounded on all sides by Candela and Blanche, who both were obviously doing their best to stall for time while also prying out all the information they could from Go. He could tell by the way they both straightened their backs and tried to look like they weren’t doing anything; Candela and Blanche were surprisingly similar at times.

“H--Hey!” He managed to greet Go with a single wave. “So.. you ready?”

Go chuckled. “I was waiting for  _ you _ , Spark.”

“Oh.. yeah.. _ right _ .”

A silence hung between the two of them as awkwardness settled in. Candela clapped her hands together. “Well! Won’t you look at the time!”

Blanche chimed in. “It’s 7:30 PM! Dinnertime!”

“I’d have to agree with that Blanche, why don’t we lead these two out?”

“Let’s.”

Candela practically pushed both of them from behind as Blanche opened the front door. Eventually the two were outside the apartment, and Blanche was ready to close the door on them.

“Have fun you two!~” Candela yelled out before Blanche closed the door.

“You think those two will be okay?” They asked Candela.

“Well, seeing how they acted just now..  _ I’m sure they’ll be fine _ .” Candela reached out a hand to hold Blanche’s. “While they’re gone, how about we watch a movie or something?”

Blanche gave the smallest smile. “Sure.”

“So what will you two be having today?”

Spark smiled up at the waitress as he set his menu down. “I’ll have the Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara… the usual.” The waitress smiled in reply. This wasn’t the first time she had seen Spark.

Meanwhile, Go was frustrated.  _ What should he get? _ The chicken parmesan was enticing, but he knew that the restaurant was known for its pasta. And yet, he couldn’t help but also think that he could subsist on the complimentary basket of breadsticks and unlimited salad. In the end, he chose the most cliché option. “I’ll have the Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs with marinara sauce, please.”

Spark noticed Go’s troubled expression. “Anything more you wanna get? It’s my treat.”

“N-No, I’m fine.”

“How about we get an appetizer or something?.. Wanna share a chicken parmesan?”

“S-sure.” Go couldn’t help but wonder if Spark was reading his mind. He hoped the expression on his face didn’t spell out  _ “I want chicken parmesan” _ , but it always seemed like Spark knew him better than most people.

Spark smiled. “We’ll have a chicken parmesan as well, please.”

The waitress nodded as she jot down the order. “Drinks?”

“I’ll have a Sprite.”

Go was met with another choice. His heart screamed  _ “Coca Cola” _ , but his mind said that it didn’t go well with pasta. “I’ll…  _ HaveAWater _ .”

“A chicken parmesan, Shrimp and Chicken Carbonara with a Sprite for Spark, and Spaghetti and Meatballs with a water for his date.” She winked and began to walk away. “Coming right up!”

Go’s face lit up with a bright red blush as Spark managed a chuckle. He could barely look at Spark’s face.  _ Why was this happening now?  _ Just yesterday he was able to make a joke or say something sly, but today, his lips were locked. If he tried to speak, his entire being would shut himself up.

Go quickly grabbed for a breadstick and started putting some salad onto his plate. Maybe if he started eating, then he would have an excuse for not talking.  _ Can’t talk with your mouth full, right? _

While Go stuffed his face, Spark’s mind was buzzing.  _ How many people were in on this anyways? _ He saw from his peripheral another group of people pointing with fingers towards him and Go, covering their mouths and holding in their excitement.

Though he had to chalk up some of it to his team leader reputation, Spark couldn't help but also think that they were shipping him with Go since the beginning. He hated the silence between them and so attempted to make some conversation.

“So uh.. how ya doin’ today? You seem kinda quiet.”

Go almost choked on his mouthful of salad. “Oh! Uh.. me?”  _ Of course you, you idiot.  _ “I--I’m doing pretty good. Salads pretty good as well. How about you?” He took another bite.

“Me? Well, uh.. I’m doing pretty good too!” Silence. He had to fill it. “You know, this place is pretty great uh.. I really love the food here…” He paused and noticed Go shoving an entire breadstick into his mouth. Their waitress came and set the drinks, chuckling to herself as she saw the scenario. “You seem to be liking it as well?” 

Go was getting desperate. He couldn’t find any words to say. So naturally, he just kept eating.  _ “MMMM” _ he replied with a thumbs-up. His other hand helping to put food in his mouth, and his eyes trained on the table.

“That’s good. I wasn’t sure if you were into Italian food or not. In fact, uh.. this place kinda reminds me of Mom and that’s why I come here. And I really love the food so like that’s pretty cool too and wow I can’t wait for the food to be here. Uh.. lots of people here today, huh? I wonder if it’s some kind of occasion, I don’t think it is, I haven’t checked my calendar though, the atmosphere is pretty nice too it’s low-light but not too much and lots of coup-- _les_ _of friends_ come here often…. _IfYouWantWeCanGetDessertAfterwards_.”

Go swallowed his food, instinctively placing a hand to his throat as the food clogged his airway. He took a sip of his water to clear away any debris.

“I.. would like that.”

“..R-Really?”

“Y-yeah..”

Food was here. Both were thankful that they could finally just eat.

“Enjoy!” The waitress said as she went on to her next table, though she would be back later to refill their drinks and to check up on their date.

“This... looks great!” Go said, taking knife and fork in hand and moving towards the chicken parmesan. 

Spark also took up a fork, going for his pasta. “Yeah! It’s the best.”

Silence filled the air as they both ate. Though it was sweet bliss for Go, Spark was suffocating under it, wanting to fill it with some kind of conversation but not wanting to come off too strong.

Go had devoured the chicken parmesan, leaving none for Spark. He didn’t mean to; it just sort of happened, and the thought of it happening made him uncomfortable. He twirled his pasta with his fork, slower now because his stomach was getting full from the salad and breadsticks from before.

Spark tried once more to start a conversation. “You know, Blanche and Candela have been setting this up the whole time.”

His fork paused. “They what?”

“I feel like Candela’s told everyone in our immediate area that we’re here.. together.”

“...and?”

“Well,.. I would look around.” 

Go turned to see heads whirling around to move back to their food. Their waitress came back to check on drinks.

“So~ How’s the date going, you two?”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

“Good! I’ll be back later to check up on you.”

Go looked back at Spark. “So they’ve been.. in on this the whole time?”

“Y-yeah.. I didn’t know that they told everyone, but they  _ were _ the ones who convinced me to ask you to dinner.” Spark’s words were strung together, and it took him a second to realize what he had said. He bit his lip. He wasn’t thinking.  _ Strike One. _

Go laughed. Genuinely. “W--Why would they do that?”

Spark managed a laugh as well. “I guess ‘cause I haven’t had the courage to ask you for  _ TheLastTwoYears _ .”  _ Strike Two. _

“..For the last?--”

“Two.”

“Years?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Oh.”

“So..” Spark sipped his soda. “This just got awkward.”

Silence hung between them once more as they both continued to eat. Spark was beginning to become very uncomfortable: the silence and the situation making him begin to sweat. He began to scan the room once more, hoping that their waitress would show up to give them their check. That way all of this could be over.

Instead of seeing their waitress, he saw two.. men? in large coats and sunglasses, their heads pointed directly at him. They noticed his stare and turned away, and as they turned away, a small hint of blue fabric was seen under one of their coats.  _ Blanche. _

The initial startle caused Spark’s knee to jump, hitting the table hard enough to cause drinks to fall and plates to bounce. A blush finally took over his entire face as he noticed the mess he made before him, followed by embarrassment from and frustration towards his two friends spying on his attempt at a date. Go got up from his seat on instinct, not sure what to do in this situation, and the waitress came over to see what was going on.

“Well,” she said, “I see everything is going swell.”

Go began to burst out in laughter, attempting to help clean the mess up while clutching his stomach. As they started to clean up, the two “men” got up from their seats and gallantly tossed off their cloaks and sunglasses, revealing Blanche and Candela.

“We’re here!” Candela announced. “The  _ Save the Date Squad _ !”

They both leapt to aid in cleaning up the mess. The five of them made quick work in cleaning up the spilled foods and drinks and the scattered silverware, but once they were done, Spark stood there with a tapping foot and crossed arms while Go tried to recover from his hysterics.

Spark spoke first. “Thanks for the help, but… weren’t you two gonna watch a movie?”

Candela smiled. “We were going to, but we both thought, ‘why watch a romantic comedy when you can experience it in real life?’”

“A very good idea considering otherwise this date would have been a wreck.” Blanche added in.

Candela nodded. “Agreed.”

They high-fived and stood triumphant. They saved the date. They saved the day. 

Spark, meanwhile, was both happy for their presence but also sick of their over concern. “Alright, time for you two to go.” He dismissed them with a movement of his head towards the door.

“Agreed.” Candela nodded once more. “Where you goin’ next?”

“Not telling you.”

“Wh---Why?”

“I want my time with Go to be  _ private _ .”

“So.. you don’t want us to come.”

“... Yes.”

Blanche raised a finger. “I, for one, think that they do deserve some privacy. We’ve done our job Candela. Why don’t we just let them have some fun alone?”

“Fine.” Candela grumbled. “But, if something happens and we’re not there, then it’s all your fault!” She pointed at Spark.

“And this was all my fault too, but thank you for being there. Now. Go. Please.” He shooed them away.

Candela turned and walked away with Blanche, mentioning something about how “the movie is always better than the book”.

After they left, Go was able to speak. “So. Candela and Blanche are fun.”

“Fun, but  _ motherly _ .”

“I wouldn’t think ‘ _ motherly’ _ , maybe more.. ‘ _ stalkery’ _ .”

Spark gave a sigh. “Agreed.”

“... Would you like your check?” The waitress chimed in. “And maybe a place to go get dessert for you two?”

Go smiled. “That’s right! You offered me dessert!” He began to chuckle.

“I did.” Spark rolled his eyes and smiled as well, trying to breathe out the last of his embarrassment. “Check, please, and.. I’m so sorry for all of this.”

“Check will be here in just a moment.” She winked. “And no problem. Anything for my OTP ship.”

_ Right. That was something they needed to address while eating dessert. _ Spark managed a thanks and paid for the food once the bill came, making sure to leave an ample tip for their waitress.

“So where do we want to go?” Spark turned to Go, who had remained silent during that time, and in fact, he had just noticed, remained mostly silent for the entirety of dinner, except for when he started to laugh at the whole table fiasco.

“Hmm.. I’m not sure.”

While serving another customer, the waitress, a very reliable wingwoman, chimed in once more. “I was going to mention a place I know not too far from here.. You should be able to walk there! They have some great Pecha Cider and Oran Berry Pie.”

Go looked over at Spark. “You wanna go there?”

“S--Sure.”

“Well, then let’s go!” Go was now the enthusiastic one, taking Spark by the arm. Somehow Spark’s embarrassment gave him new confidence. “Thanks for the suggestion!”

“No problem!” The waitress called out before they were out the door.

Spark couldn’t help but feel very uncomfortable but also very thrilled. Go’s arm was locked around his. The experience itself shot electricity up his spine, sending fireworks into his head, but at the same time, this was not the first time they had linked arms or touched each other.  _ Why was he getting so riled up right now? _

Nevertheless, he took advantage of the situation and inched closer to Go as they walked, though he suspected that Go probably noticed. The autumn breeze was chilly but also refreshing, dragging fallen leaves across the ground with it. Spark took a second to breathe in the cold air and to release the hot air that was welling up inside him. Chilliness battled nervousness in his mind, although some would argue otherwise. He just preferred to shiver than to sweat.

Go interrupted his thoughts. “Nice weather outside, huh?”

“Y--Yeah.”

“Kinda chilly though.”

“It’s November, it’ll get even colder soon.”

“You think it’ll snow?”

“Probably. It does every year, right?”

“It does.”

They walked a few steps more before Go started talking once more.

“I liked dinner. I know I didn’t show it, but I did like it.”

“Y--You did?”

“Yeah.” He smiled. “I think it’s cool that you brought me out to a place that meant something to you. I know how you and your mom are.”

“Far away from each other?”

“Mhm.”

“And it gets kind of lonely.”

“Mhm.”

“She must be lonely.”

“I would expect so.”

“I also get lonely.”

“Even with Candela and Blanche to pester you all the time?”

“Yeah, ‘cause, they’re just not the same.”

“How so?”

Spark chuckled. “Well, they don’t make me pasta.  _ For one _ .”

Go laughed in response. “True.”

“There’s also something missing there. My mom’s my family, and they’re also my family, but it’s different. I just wish that she could move closer to us.”

“Why can’t she?”

“There’s a Togekiss that used to belong to my dad before he passed away. She found a home in the woods by my mom’s house afterwards and started raising a family of her own. My mom stays there to keep them company.”

“So.. at least she’s not totally alone, right?”

“I guess.”

“But, I’m sure you wish that you could see her more often.”

“Yeah.” Spark sighed. “It’s temporary though. She promised that one day she would find a way to move closer to me… It’s just not the same without her though.” He looked over at Go. “You know, she cried after sending me to the Trainer Academy?”

“Really?”

“Completely bawled her eyes out… that’s when I knew she had loneliness problems.”

“You think it’s---?”

“‘Cause of my dad?... Probably. She did say that I looked just like him. To her, it must feel like both of her boys left her.”

Silence once more. But, this time, it wasn’t suffocating at all. There might have been silence between the two of them, but the sounds of nature backdropped the silence in between them: sounds of rattling leaves on trees and gusts of wind blowing into their ears.Spark once more could hear the thumping of his heart against his eardrum; he wondered if it was high blood pressure or his body being close to Go’s. The latter seemed the most feasible while the former was caused by the latter.

“My mom aside, I kinda wanna.. talk with you about.. us.”

“Us?”

“Y--Yeah.”

“What about us?” Go’s voice was mixed with both question and curiosity.  _ Was Spark finally going to confess as to what tonight was? _

“Well…” Spark swallowed and took a deep breath of air. “How about we get dessert, and I can tell you then.”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Did you see what happened at dinner?”

“I almost toppled the entire table?”

“No. Me almost choking on breadsticks.”

Spark tried to hold in a laugh, but snorted instead. “Oh. That too.”

“I was seriously about to die. I have an eating issue. It gets even worse with nervousness.”

“Nervousness? Over what?”

Go rolled his eyes. “Over being with  _ you _ .” He paused. Strike Three.

“ _ With me? _ ”

“ _ Nevermind _ .”

Spark stopped walking entirely and looked at Go, arm still interlocked with his. “I’m not moving until you explain.”

Go unlinked his arm. _No way was he gonna confess first._ “Then, I can just keep walking by myself?”

“ _ Go _ ahead.”

Go began to walk, alone. Spark, however, followed right behind him.

“Nice weather we’re having.” Spark teased, seeing if he could get Go to say what he wanted to hear.

“I--I’m ignoring you.”

“Kinda chilly though. You think it’ll snow?”

“You’re just mocking me with my own words now.” Go’s pace was forward. His head was facing straight ahead, unmoving.

“Would be nice if--”

“If what?”

“If only someone could warm me up!” Spark hugged him from behind, tightly, as if he were a Pokemon egg. He felt as Go’s muscles tensed and then loosened. 

There they were. Just a few meters away from the Pecha Ciders and the Oran Berry Pies. Go was speechless and could barely breathe, not from Spark’s tight hug, but from Spark’s presence. He could feel Spark’s heart beating against his back. His team leader obviously was also nervous, and that made him feel more secure. In his nervousness. That he wasn’t the only one feeling nervous. He couldn’t help but also begin to heat up. It was the first time Spark had hugged him.. like this.. and it made him feel.. strange. He felt his body temperature rise, and beads of sweat formed along his forehead.

“You warm yet?” Go managed a snide comment as Spark began to loosen his hug.

“Not really. Though  _ you’re  _ getting pretty warm.”

Go opened his mouth and then closed it, shaking his head as he began to walk towards the café.

“ _ Awww come on, Go! _ I paid for dinner. I,  _ at least _ , deserve to know why you’re so  _ nervous _ .”

Go turned around and faced Spark. “ _ You are too. _ ”

“ _ And what makes you think that? _ ”

“I… uh..” He had the words, but he didn’t want to speak them. He opened the door into the café and walked in, the aroma of coffee finding its way to his nose. He was still shaking his head.

Spark thought that maybe he was being too forward, but Go had given him a hint. And that hint was a lead to see what Go was truly feeling about today. The way he had avoided conversation, the way he would occasionally find excuses to bump Spark on the shoulder or link arms, and the way he paused in between his words. _It all made sense now_. _What if Go had the same feelings that he had?_ _That same flutter in his heart whenever they were within a meter away from each other._

That hug. The hug from behind. He had to admit that was maybe too much. But he felt it, that jolt. Like electricity. Conduction. It just felt right. Everything felt right. And he wanted it to feel right always.

They each ordered separately. Go was still trying to distance himself from Spark. The hug had thrown him off-balance.

Meanwhile, Spark gravitated towards Go, hoping to get closer but knowing that he needed his space. They sat across the table from each other once more, and just like before, Go was scarfing down his food so that he had less of a responsibility to talk.

That is until he started actually almost choking. Again. 

He began to cough.

“Y--You okay?” Spark was concerned now. Not only about the coughing, but also about the situation.

“Yeah.” He took another bite of pie.

“I just wanna say---”

Go swallowed. “No. I wanna say.”

Spark closed his mouth. Go was about to speak, and he hadn’t done it in a while. He didn’t want to interrupt.

“First, I wanna say. Thank you.”

“You’re.. welcome..”

“Nonono, don’t talk until I’m finished. It’s important.” He took a deep breath. “Second, I wanna say… I.. I...  _ ILoveYou _ .” His eyes turned to the table.

“Th--Third, I wanna say. I hope you do too. Because, uh.. this whole thing is really awkward if not.”  _ Strikes Four, Five, and Six. _ He began to fidget with his fork and to bite the inside of his lip.  _ He was Out. _

Spark smiled; the utter relief of the moment making him burst out in laughter, to which Go started laughing as well.

“Y--” He had to catch his breath. “You’re right.  _ It’s silly. I’m s-sorry _ .” He felt something well up inside of him. He laughed so hard that it brought tears to his eyes. “ _ I shouldn’t have ever told you. _ Will you excuse me?” He got up and began walking to the bathroom.

Spark realized the misunderstanding and got up as well, catching Go by his arm. Go turned around to look at him, tears still glistening his eyes. 

“ _ You don’t need to comfort me. _ This is my problem, so--”

Spark pulled him into a hug, wrapping his arms around Go so that his face was right beside his.

“This is my problem too because...” He tightened his hold around Go without meaning too. “Because I was laughing out of  _ relief _ !  _ Relief _ that..  _ I wasn’t alone _ .”

He could feel tears in his eyes as well. “This is the first time I’ve ever felt feelings for…”

“For a guy?”

“For anyone really, but... yeah.”

“Me too.”

“For two years…”

“I was gonna talk about that.” Go pulled away from Spark’s hug with a smirk. “ _ Only two? _ ”

“Yeah?..  _ Only? _ ”

“Yeah!”

“How long have  _ you _ liked me then?” 

“Three. Three years.”

“ _..Wow. _ ”

Go shrugged. “ _ I’ve got you beat. _ ”

“ _ What is this a competition? _ ” Spark chuckled and then looked at Go quizzically. “Three years ago.. that’s when we met.”

“That’s right.”

“How?”

“You’re  _ gorgeous _ . What can I say?”

_ When did Go become the smooth talker? _ Spark responded with a very obvious blush, spreading from his cheeks to the entirety of his face.

_ A camera flash. _

Surprised, both looked over at a girl holding a camera. She had a Team Instinct insignia pinned onto her cap, and Spark could’ve sworn he had seen her face somewhere.

“I knew it!” She screamed before she realized her mistake. “Uh… I can erase it if you want..”

Spark pointed at her with his index finger. “You were our waitress from before… How did you?”

“I got off work, and I ran over here.” She smiled. “You might not have known, Spark, but I’m a part of Team Instinct… Now do I erase this picture or not? I wanna post it on the Instinct Blog.”

“W-We have a blog?”

“We didn’t tell you about it.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause we know you’ll just put memes all over it.”

Go burst out laughing. “She’s right you know.”

Spark crossed his arms. “Fine… Can I at least look at it?”

She smiled. “Trade a picture for the URL?”

He looked over at Go, who gave a nod. “Sure.” He put an arm around Go’s shoulders and posed in a stereotypical “best friends” fashion, his face completely platonically right next to Go’s.

“That’s  _ not _ the type of picture I want.”

“ _ Then what type? _ ”

“Something cuter! Just once for the camera!”

“Like this?” Go turned his head to plant a kiss on Spark’s cheek. The camera flashed. 

“Yes!  _ Keep going! _ ”

Spark stared at Go wide-eyed. “So, I guess we’re out, huh?”

“Three years. Three strikes. And now we’re out.” Go gave a crooked smile as Spark took his arm off of his shoulder, replacing it with his hands on the sides of Go’s shoulders.

“Just once for the camera.”

“Just once.” Go repeated before...

They kissed with a camera flashing in the background and the scents of sweet autumn pastries all around them.

For once that night, they felt comfortable with each other, and for once, just once, the two felt loved.


End file.
